You went to Japan again? Why?
I heard this from friends and riding buddies after my May ‘26 ride around Shikoku. Even heard the question from neighbors who don’t ride. Ok, why?
Media and news have created an impression in some people that all of Japan looks like downtown Tokyo at the Shibuya scramble crossing. Crowded! Or that it looks like Kyoto during cherry blossom season, with densely packed tourists behaving badly. Yes, those things are real, but that’s not the Japan I enjoy. Once outside the industrial districts on the Kanto plain, Japan is a mountainous country partially covered in dense forest. That leads to amazing riding.
Twisty mountain roads, check! Mountain passes, yes! Coastal roads barely clinging to the land, better than you can imagine. If you’re looking for a riding challenge, a guy can find 100 miles might take all day – on good pavement, too. And once you’ve left the well worn tourist routes, there’s little traffic to harsh your riding flow.
But it’s very Japanese, isn’t it? It sure is and that’s why I love it. Japan is a country and culture dedicated to preserving tradition and artisanship, blended into world leading technology. On my recent trip I visited a pottery workshop (Sake cups!) run by the 7th generation of family artisans. In another, the artist proudly told me “I made everything in this shop.” (Bought a bud vase from him.) Making “everything in the shop” was also the province of a traditional knife maker – from raw iron ore to knife in 7 days. Wonderful to see.
Practicing craft to perfection includes dining. From the okonomiyaki joint to the kaiseki dinner with 13 plates in a single setting, the food is outstanding. Yes, fish will be on the menu (Yay) but so will vegetable dishes and beef. Good for you, too.
But I don’t speak Japanese! Not to worry, once off the beaten path you’ll find many Japanese citizens can’t speak English. Google lens and voice translation work both ways and eliminate most communication difficulties. And – pay attention now – learning a few common phrases along with “reading the room” for behavioral norms make it easy to be welcomed and treated well.
Did you go on a tour or by yourself? On a tour, but…. I’ve ridden motorcycle tours on 3 continents with multiple tour companies and I ride Japan with Motoquest. Why? It’s personal! Phil and Chie are both multicultural in practice. Phil, the American who lived and taught in Japan, teams up with Chie, the motorcycle shop owner who studied in the US for engrossing and frictionless tours. Routefinding, accommodations, and geographic or historical/cultural stops all contribute to a measure of living in Japan vs. simply “seeing the sights.” Yes, there are professional considerations about safety and riding skills but the spirit of riding with Motoquest is “friends out for an adventure together!”
I plan to go back.
